TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — European lawmakers visiting Taiwan on Wednesday (Oct. 30) said China’s hostility will further unite the Taiwanese and push them away from Beijing.
A delegation of European Union parliamentarians arrived on Sunday (Oct. 27) for a six-day visit, where they will meet with Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), according to the foreign ministry. The visit comes as the European Parliament voted to support Taiwan by denouncing China’s misrepresentation of UN Resolution 2758.
In a CNA interview, Michael Gahler of Germany, the leader of the European Parliament’s Taiwan Friendship Group, compared China’s pressure on Taiwan to the aggression Russia exerted in Ukraine. He said that native Russian speakers in Ukraine once questioned why they were in Ukraine, but since the Russo-Ukrainian War, they have understood, "I am Ukrainian, even though I speak Russian."
Gahler said that as greater pressure is exerted from one party, the more people “stand together” and “do not want to be part of something that is so unfriendly.” Another delegation member Bernard Guetta of France added, "The Beijing authorities should understand that, because of their hostility toward Taiwan, you are more and more a nation in the making.”
The Czech Republic’s Ondrej Kolar commended the will of the Taiwanese people despite challenges from authoritarian nations. He said that pressure can make many people give up, but the Taiwanese have shown courage and strength.
Regarding the delegation’s meeting with Hsiao, Gahler said they were working on expanding economic cooperation between the European Union and Taiwan. He added that he hoped to increase cooperation in not only semiconductors but artificial intelligence, an area the EU needs to "catch up" by collaborating with Taiwan.
Commenting on the EU motion on UN Resolution 2758, Gahler said, "We have shown that China is crossing legal boundaries." He said the resolution passed in the new session established the EU’s position, criticized China's military exercises around Taiwan, and conveyed its tougher stance on China.